50 best Netflix movies and shows you missed last decade

8. Maniac (TV series)

Premiere date: Sept. 21, 2018

What Maniac is about: The Netflix original miniseries follows Annie Landsberg (Emma Stone) and Owen Milgrim (Jonah Hill), two strangers who participate in a pharmaceutical test trial. The procedure is risky, but both Annie and Owen feel they don’t have much to lose. They are both going through some rough times, so volunteering for this wasn’t a big deal to them.

What’s more, Dr. James K. Mantleray (Justin Theroux), the one in charge of this pharmaceutical trial, promises Annie and Owen that the medication will repair anything that’s wrong with them — be it mental illness or lack of confidence. It seems like a miracle drug, doesn’t it? But what sounds too good to be true, probably is.

Why you need to watch this: Netflix has always been great at putting together miniseries for subscribers to enjoy. So with a history of brilliant shows, an intriguing trailer, and star-studded cast, we’re not sure how you let Maniac pass you by. If you have seen it already, congratulations, you may go ahead and skip along to the following slide. If you haven’t, read on!

Stone is particularly wonderful in Maniac, as she is no stranger to tackling roles of all genres. She looks and feels right at home in the shoes of a girl next door or 40s movie star. By no means, however, does this mean Hill isn’t able to keep up with the talented actress. He holds his own just fine.

The trippy series does offer some laughs, but, for the most part, only exists to mess with your mind. While it does keep you guessing and has several surprises in store, it never comes off as pretentious or showy. Maniac is here to entertain, not to make audiences feel inferior.

The cast also includes Billy Magnussen, Sally Field and Sonoya Mizuno. The miniseries consists of 10 episodes.